Red Wings News

Detroit Red Wings Foundation kicks off fifth year of the School Assembly Program with forward Justin Abdelkader on Thursday

by
Alex DiFilippo
/ Detroit Red Wings

DETROIT – Red Wings forward Justin Abdelkader will kick off the fifth year of the Red Wings School Assembly Program with a visit to St. Regis School in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., on Thursday, Sept. 4 from 2:00 – 2:45 in the school’s gymnasium. The School Assembly Program, which is set to visit 115 schools during the 2014-15 season, is sponsored by the Detroit Red Wings Foundation, Michigan Education Savings Program and The Kroger Company of Michigan.

Abdelkader and the Red Wings School Assembly Team will introduce elementary students to the sport of hockey through a youth street and floor hockey initiative. The Wings will provide equipment and hands-on instruction to familiarize kids with the sport of hockey and to encourage an active and healthy lifestyle.

The School Assembly Team opens every program with an interactive lesson on exercise, healthy eating and the growing issue of bullying, followed by an energetic hockey shootout competition pitting students against teachers.

Each school receives two full sets of floor hockey equipment complete with hockey sticks and nets courtesy of the Detroit Red Wings Foundation. In addition, every student receives a Red Wings folder from the Detroit Red Wings Foundation, an informational brochure on college savings strategies, courtesy of Michigan Education Savings Program, and a healthy eating cookbook from the Kroger Company of Michigan.

A special fundraising initiative administered by the Red Wings School Assembly Program has helped local students raise more than $85,000 since 2011 for a variety of charitable endeavors.

About the Detroit Red Wings Foundation: The Detroit Red Wings Foundation is an affiliate of Ilitch Charities, a 501(c)(3) organization. The Foundation invests in the future of our community by providing funds and resources to worthy causes that contribute to the growth of the sport of hockey. Ilitch Charities is a non-profit organization that invests in our community’s future by supporting innovative, collaborative and measurable programs in the areas of community development, human services, education and recreation through contributions from the Ilitch companies, their colleagues and the generosity of others. For more information, please visit www.DetroitRedWings.com/Foundation.

About the Michigan Education Savings Program:MESP is one of three Michigan Section 529 plans, all of which offer Michigan taxpayers a state income tax deduction on contributions and potential tax-free growth on any earnings if account proceeds are used to pay for qualified higher education expenses. MESP can be used at any eligible college, university or trade school in the nation for a variety of qualified expenses, including tuition, mandatory equipment, fees, certain room and board costs, supplies and books. Limitations apply. See the MESP Disclosure Booklet for details. To learn more about MESP, visit MIsaves.com or contact us at 877-861-6377.

About The Kroger Co. of Michigan:Incorporated in Michigan in 1909 and headquartered in Novi, The Kroger Co. of Michigan includes 16,000 associates, 130 Kroger stores, 45 fuel centers, 104 pharmacies and the Michigan Dairy. Kroger focuses its charitable efforts on supporting hunger relief, health and wellness initiatives, and local organizations in the communities it serves. The grocer has a long history of charitable contributions and was recently named number one among America’s most generous companies in a Chronicle of Philanthropy listing featured in Forbes Magazine. The list recognized companies that give back the most, with Kroger ranked first among companies contributing the largest percentage of their pre-tax profits. For more information about Kroger, please visit www.kroger.com.